UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "is deeply saddened" by the news of a plane crash in western Kazakhstan, his spokesperson said late Wednesday.

In a statement, the UN chief extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and expressed his sympathy to the affected nations. He wished a swift and full recovery to those injured in this tragic incident.

A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines from Baku to Russia's Grozny crashed on Wednesday morning near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan.

The airline said 62 passengers and five crew members were on board. Kazakhstan's emergencies ministry said 29 people survived the crash. ■